IN the last century, we have witnessed tremendous advancements in the area of biological sciences. The exploration and studies in the area of molecular biology have uncovered much of the secrets of genetics.
The first scientific study on here-dity was by Mendel in 1865. The discovery of the structure of the gene (deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA) five decades ago in 1953 propelled genetic sciences to the forefront.
The list of achievements in biological sciences has continued, with protein synthesis in the 1960s, tissue culture in the 1970s, molecular markers in the 1980s, genetic engineering in the 1990s and genomics at the turn of the millennium.
All these advancements contributed to the development of biotechnology. While biotechnology may be a new word to many people, in essence mankind has been using biotechnological processes for the past 5,000 years, in particular the fermentation technique.
No doubt, biotechnological processes in the 21st century are much more advanced as we are now talking about modification processes that take place at the molecular level.
With all these developments taking place so rapidly, how well do people really understand biotechnology? Most members of the general public are probably aware of certain bio-technological terms and concepts, as they may have been used in the media.
However, it is important for the public to really understand how biotechnology is affecting and changing our lives as we speak. Biotechnology holds many promises and great potential for mankind. Nonetheless, there is an on-going debate on certain aspects of biotechnology that seem to indicate that man may be playing God.
That is why discussions on biotechnology must include the religious and ethical perspectives. Unless this is done, the risks that biotechnology poses may overwhelm the benefits that it promises.
With this in mind, the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) along with the Sarawak State Government, the Sarawak Development Institute (SDI) and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) jointly organised an international seminar with the theme “The Understanding and Acceptability of Biotechnology from the Islamic Perspective”. The recently concluded seminar was held in Kuching and has succeeded in identifying several pertinent issues concerning biotechnology.
For one, there are still many grey areas in biotechnology that require the Islamic input. The Islamic input on issues such as recombinant DNA technologies, cloning and the like, is crucial in dealing with the onslaught of progress in biotechnology. As accurately noted by Professor Dr Abdul Latiff Ibrahim of Universiti Industri Selangor (Unisel), biotechnology will have greater impact than all the other technologies put together. Therefore, this area of science will indeed bring forth many issues that would be of concern to Muslims which in turn would require prompt input from Islamic scholars (ulama). To provide the necessary input, ulama must first understand biotechnology and its processes.
As such, ulama must be proactive in tackling issues pertaining to biotechnology. As biotechnology is an area that is fast expanding, efforts must be taken to ensure ulama are aware and understand these developments so that they can provide the necessary Islamic input. It is perhaps timely for ulama to sit together with scientists, in particular those involved in biotechnology, to discuss and address bio-technological issues. It would also be a good idea for scientists to explain biotechnological processes in simple terms so ulama could benefit from them. This in turn would assist them to not only provide the necessary Islamic input, but also explain to Muslims — through Friday sermons (khutbah), religious lectures and the like — the Islamic perspective on biotechno-logical issues.
Participants who attended the international seminar held in Sarawak also agreed that much needed to be done in creating public awareness with regard to biotechnology.
The correct information and scientific facts must be given so that the public will not be misled or misinformed.
In this aspect, religious bodies and ulama could indeed play a crucial role in disseminating information and understanding with regard to biotechnology. This is because religious bodies and ulama are closer to the public compared to scientists and tech-nologists.
From a study entitled “The Understanding and Acceptability of Biotechnology among Muslims” conducted by Ikim which was presented during the seminar, it is noted that the majority of the respondents in the study do not have information on biotechnology.
The study also found that the most trusted source of information regarding biotechnology are research institutes (28.5 per cent), religious organisations (19.5), universities (14.4) and consumers’ associations (11.8).
This serves to highlight the important role that religious organisations and scholars play in disseminating an understanding of and information on biotechnology. If religious organisations and ulama could co-operate with biotechnological research institutes as well as scientists in the field, this would indeed be of great benefit to the general public.
The work that scientists are doing in researching biotechnology is in fact part and parcel of mankind’s responsibility as the vicegerent (khalifah) of God on this planet. Endeavours to develop the world should continue. While biotechnology is an area of knowledge that is shrouded with many grey areas, efforts to tap the full potential of biotechnology should not be hindered. Upon understanding the developments in biotechnology, ulama could provide scientists with Islamic guidelines vis-a-vis what is permissible and what is not. This would help to avoid con-troversies such as those surrounding human cloning technology, geneti-cally-modified organisms and trans-genic food.
It is without a doubt that the rapid development of biotechnology will continue to generate many challen-ging ethical and religious issues. If scientists and ulama could discuss these matters using the proper application of Islamic jurisprudence, it would indeed benefit the Muslim ummah as well as the public at large.
Discussions and deliberations on biotechnological issues between scientists and ulama must be on-going. They should not be reactive in nature, rather they should be proactive whereby meetings are held regularly to discuss new developments in bio-technology.
If this could be done, it repre-sents a win-win situation for both scientists and ulama. Scientists would be able to enlighten ulama on new developments, while ulama could provide the much needed Islamic perspective on these developments. In the long run, it is the general public who will benefit the most from this meeting of minds between scientists and ulama.